Treatment of shingles painThe treatment of shingles pain depends on whether it's for the initial outbreak or for Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN), an intensely painful complication that can linger for months or even years. The very best strategy is to catch and address the initial, acute shingles phase as quickly as possible. Some patients get well on their own with no medical intervention. Others respond favorably to pain medications such as Vicodin or Neurontin.
Some PHN sufferers receive no relief at all, no matter what medications or therapies they use - and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. This lack of relief can leave patients depressed; undernourished, dehydrated, and even suicidal. Actual treatment of shingles painStrategies to help those in the initial outbreak stages of blisters and those experiencing PHN, the most common complication of shingles, range from narcotics to epilepsy drugs to St. John's Wort to Chinese herbs.• Antiviral drugs are prescribed within the first few days of the disease (when they're most effective). These drugs include acyclovir and valacyclovir, and are used to help shorten the outbreak of the virus, and lessen the possibility of developing Post-herpetic Neuralgia. • The anti-viral drug Valtrex, a brand of valacylovir, has recently been developed, tested, and approved by the FDA for the treatment of Shingles. • Vitamin C and bioflavonoids are also helpful as they are thought to have anti-viral activity. • Lidocaine patches often have good results for those with PHN.
• An injection, directly into the spine, of methylprednisone, combined with lidocaine, has been found to reduce pain in over 70 percent of one patient group, compared with groups that received lidocaine alone or an inactive substance. • A TENS device (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) that generates low-level pulses of electrical current when applied to the skin's surface, may offer pain relief. • Nerve blocks may provide temporary relief. These are invasive procedures that usually entail the injection of a local anesthetic into the area of the affected nerves, however the relief is only temporary, lasting approximately a week and a half
• In China, acupuncture is considered the most effective of all therapies for the treatment of shingles pain. Acupuncture in points along the affected nerve area is helpful in relieving the pain. That relief may, however, be only temporary, lasting five to six hours. Also, the acupuncture must be done on both the back and front of the torso, or the method will be ineffectual. • Acupuncture physicians may suggest avoiding foods that cause inflammation in the body and depress the immune system, including foods with saturated fats, refined foods, sugar, and spices. • One typically eastern method of treatment now widely accepted by western doctors, is a Capsaicin cream or ointment. Ointments made with Capsaicin (derived from hot peppers) and rubbed into the affected area (usually after the blisters heal) have proven effective in relieving the lingering Shingles pain of some patients. Zostrix, an over the counter medication made with the red pepper extract, has been developed for this purpose. The pain accompanying shingles varies greatly from patient to patient and also with barometric pressure. These may be the reasons that methods which combine a variety of elements from the eastern and western medical traditions come closer to a "cure." Additional research on this wholistic style of treatment may yield even better theories for pain relief for shingles sufferers. Click here to ask a question about treatment of shingles pain. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. unknown
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